Living with Chronic Urticaria - My First Flareup + Q&A | Autoimmune Chronic Hives | Chronic Illness

Warning this video contains graphic images of my face during flareups which may not be suitable for all viewers.* During late July and early August of 2018, my life changed forever. I had my first flareup that lasted nearly 3 weeks. I had unexplained bumps and texture on my lips and was misdiagnosed. I was prescribed medication that gave me an even worse reaction. After seeing several nurse practitioners and doctors, I finally saw someone who informed me that it was an allergic reaction and not cold sores or herpes. While I still did not have a lot of answers, this was the start of my healing journey because it gave me a better idea of what was going on inside my body. Eventually, I saw an allergist who informed me that the hives are autoimmune. Essentially, my immune system is in overdrive and out of whack causing me to be EXTRA sensitive to various foods and chemicals that I never had issues with before. Today, I am sharing the story of my first reaction and the way things were for the majority of the first 1-1.5 years. I do still have reactions, but they are not as extreme because I have made huge lifestyle changes and learned how to manage it better. When this first happened, I felt so alone. I completely isolated myself out of embarrassment and fear. I am so grateful that my mom and boyfriend were so supportive during this time and took such wonderful care of me. When I finally opened up about it on IG, I had an outpouring of messages and comments from others going through the same or similar. I no longer felt alone after hiding my truth for months. If you are going through this or other health issues, I want you to know that you are not alone and it is possible for things to get better. While I am very open and candid on social media platforms, I never thought I would share these images, but I feel it's important to reference for the entire story. Please, be kind and gentle as it is not easy to be this vulnerable, especially when it comes to intimate details about health issues. My journey with chronic urticaria will be an on-going series and in my next video I will share the lifestyle changes I have made which has helped with the severity of flareups a lot. Have you ever developed a new allergy out of nowhere? Instagram:   / vanessaevelynh   Blog: https://www.vanessaevelyn.com/ Other Videos You May Like: Current Hair Routine    • Current Hair Routine for Wavy Hair with No...   Loungewear Lookbook    • Loungewear Lookbook | Comfy Outfit Ideas |...   Life Update: I got an emergency wisdom teeth extraction    • Life Update: I got an emergency wisdom tee...